More Images

Scott asks U.S. for port funding

In Port Manatee $13 million is going toward a new longer deeper shipping berth designed to handle larger vessels.

H-T ARCHIVE

Staff and Wire Reports

Published: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8:28 p.m.

On the eve of President Barack Obama's visit to the Port of Miami, Gov. Rick Scott said he wants the federal government to reimburse the state for tens of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in Florida's ports that he says create badly needed jobs.

The state has invested $425 million in ports -- including Port Manatee in northern Manatee County -- over the past three years to take advantage of trade with Central and South America and to prepare for the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Republican governor said.

Obama "is late to the party on Florida port investment," Scott said. "State taxpayers have stepped up time and time again to fund the federal share of projects."

The governor asked Obama to commit $75 million to the state when he visits today, which Scott said would be reinvested in additional port projects.

Port expansions across the state have created tens of thousands of jobs, including creating 207,000 direct and indirect positions from the Port of Miami project, officials said. The project also is expected to double the number of containers moved at the port, they said.

"We could not wait for the federal government to come to the table with their share of this project," Scott said.

At Port Manatee, getting federal help for needed dredging took so long that the Manatee County Port Authority paid for the more than $10 million project itself, with the hope of being reimbursed later, said Steve Tyndal, the port's senior director of trade development and special projects.

"We had state money to help us, but the federal share was fronted by the port authority," Tyndal said. "It was our expectation that we would be reimbursed for that, and now we are finding that is a real challenge."

Ports such as Manatee typically work in concert with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for expansions.

At Port Manatee, dredging provided deep-water access to the recently opened Berth 12, which will allow the facility to benefit from the Panama Canal's $5 billion expansion, expected to be complete in 2015, and compete for containerized shipping business.

Because of the number of studies and procedures needed to qualify for federal funds, it has taken longer for Port Manatee to build Berth 12 and its access channel than it taking Panama to expand the Panama Canal, Tyndal said.

"The real issue is that the rules have not changed in a long time, and the world has become more competitive in commerce," Tyndal said.

Against that backdrop, Scott in January asked the Legislature to appropriate $36 million for Jacksonville port improvements, a project he estimated would create 3,500 jobs.

Crucial development

International trade is one of the largest drivers of Florida's economy. The state has 15 ports, including Tampa, Panama City and Key West.

Florida Ports Council Chairman Bill Johnson said Obama's visit signals a strengthening relationship with Washington on port expansion, and he echoed Scott's plea to appropriate more dollars.

"If you cannot timely and efficiently and safely move containers and cruise passengers," Johnson said. "You're not going to continue to grow and create high-paying jobs."

Congress has not yet acted on legislation that includes port money.

A White House spokeswoman said the Obama administration funded a $340 million loan to help finance the Port of Miami tunnel project and a $23 million grant to restore freight rail service between the port and the Florida East Coast Railway, as well as completing the permitting on an expedited timeline to reduce red tape around infrastructure construction.

"The President believes that the Port of Miami can enhance the competitiveness of workers and businesses throughout the region and in the nation as a whole. That's why the administration has taken a number of steps to fund and facilitate improvements at the port," White House spokeswoman Joanna Rosholm wrote in an email.

Scott has frequently criticized the federal government for not balancing its budget and for spending above its means.

When asked whether his request for federal funding for ports was hypocritical, Scott countered that he was making strategic investments.

"You can see a clear difference between what the federal government is doing and what the state is doing," he said.

"We're investing in the right ways, we're cutting spending, and we're cutting taxes."

<p>On the eve of President Barack Obama's visit to the Port of Miami, Gov. Rick Scott said he wants the federal government to reimburse the state for tens of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in Florida's ports that he says create badly needed jobs.</p><p>The state has invested $425 million in ports -- including Port Manatee in northern Manatee County -- over the past three years to take advantage of trade with Central and South America and to prepare for the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Republican governor said.</p><p>Obama "is late to the party on Florida port investment," Scott said. "State taxpayers have stepped up time and time again to fund the federal share of projects."</p><p>The governor asked Obama to commit $75 million to the state when he visits today, which Scott said would be reinvested in additional port projects.</p><p>Port expansions across the state have created tens of thousands of jobs, including creating 207,000 direct and indirect positions from the Port of Miami project, officials said. The project also is expected to double the number of containers moved at the port, they said.</p><p>"We could not wait for the federal government to come to the table with their share of this project," Scott said.</p><p>At Port Manatee, getting federal help for needed dredging took so long that the Manatee County Port Authority paid for the more than $10 million project itself, with the hope of being reimbursed later, said Steve Tyndal, the port's senior director of trade development and special projects.</p><p>"We had state money to help us, but the federal share was fronted by the port authority," Tyndal said. "It was our expectation that we would be reimbursed for that, and now we are finding that is a real challenge."</p><p>Ports such as Manatee typically work in concert with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for expansions.</p><p>At Port Manatee, dredging provided deep-water access to the recently opened Berth 12, which will allow the facility to benefit from the Panama Canal's $5 billion expansion, expected to be complete in 2015, and compete for containerized shipping business.</p><p>Because of the number of studies and procedures needed to qualify for federal funds, it has taken longer for Port Manatee to build Berth 12 and its access channel than it taking Panama to expand the Panama Canal, Tyndal said.</p><p>"The real issue is that the rules have not changed in a long time, and the world has become more competitive in commerce," Tyndal said.</p><p>Against that backdrop, Scott in January asked the Legislature to appropriate $36 million for Jacksonville port improvements, a project he estimated would create 3,500 jobs.</p><p><b>Crucial development</p><p></b></p><p>International trade is one of the largest drivers of Florida's economy. The state has 15 ports, including Tampa, Panama City and Key West.</p><p>Florida Ports Council Chairman Bill Johnson said Obama's visit signals a strengthening relationship with Washington on port expansion, and he echoed Scott's plea to appropriate more dollars.</p><p>"If you cannot timely and efficiently and safely move containers and cruise passengers," Johnson said. "You're not going to continue to grow and create high-paying jobs."</p><p>Congress has not yet acted on legislation that includes port money.</p><p>A White House spokeswoman said the Obama administration funded a $340 million loan to help finance the Port of Miami tunnel project and a $23 million grant to restore freight rail service between the port and the Florida East Coast Railway, as well as completing the permitting on an expedited timeline to reduce red tape around infrastructure construction.</p><p>"The President believes that the Port of Miami can enhance the competitiveness of workers and businesses throughout the region and in the nation as a whole. That's why the administration has taken a number of steps to fund and facilitate improvements at the port," White House spokeswoman Joanna Rosholm wrote in an email.</p><p>Scott has frequently criticized the federal government for not balancing its budget and for spending above its means.</p><p>When asked whether his request for federal funding for ports was hypocritical, Scott countered that he was making strategic investments.</p><p>"You can see a clear difference between what the federal government is doing and what the state is doing," he said.</p><p>"We're investing in the right ways, we're cutting spending, and we're cutting taxes."</p><p><i>Staff Writer Michael Pollick contributed to this report.</p><p></i></p>